We have worked really hard to try and offer speedy case returns. Oftentimes, this requires overtime and weekends. In the past, I have not charged a rush fee, but we are adding one now. The charge for a rush case (any case inside the turnaround time) will be $50 per case. I have had some negative feedback about how we can’t rush cases and comments about finding another lab that will. The reality is that we rush a lot of cases. We get asked at least 10 times a day if we can rush a case. We rush stuff when we can, and oftentimes I work late to rush cases. I have worked chairside enough to know that patients wait until the day before vacation or wedding to make an appointment and expect magic. A rush fee is something you can pass on to your patients and let them decide how important it is. If we are able, we will rush the case.
To give us more flexibility in the lab and be able to handle real rush cases, I am going to extend our turnaround time on denture/partial finishes, crowns, PMMA mockups, and fixed arches. See the attached fee schedule for specifics. We will still do our wax try-ins and rims in 5 working days, but our finish will be 10 working days. We will start this policy in August 2022 but will not start charging for rush cases until September 1st, 2022, so offices can get used to the change.